Canadian talent Shallon Olsen won the all-around and vault titles at the 16th Top Gym Tournament, held Saturday and Sunday in Charleroi, Belgium.

Shallon Olsen (Canada)

Organized by Charleroi's Gymnos club, the annual competition has historically attracted some of the best juniors in the world, many of whom have gone on to world and Olympic glory. Past champions include Romanians Oana Ban, Larisa Iordache, Maria Olaru and Monica Rosu, Russia Yekaterina Lobaznyuk and Anna Pavlova (Russia), and Americans Shawn Johnson and Jordyn Wieber. This year's competition included 23 gymnasts from 11 nations.

Third in 2011, the 12-year-old Olsen moved up two spots Saturday to claim the overall title. Canadian teammate Rose-Kalam Woo, also 12, took second over Great Britain's Georgina Hockenhull, 15.

Olsen had the best scores on vault (double-twisting Yurchenko) and floor exercise (piked full-in; 1 1/2 to double tuck; double twist; double pike) to become the first Top Gym champion not from Romania, Russia, Ukraine or the USA (see list of champions below). She showed an additional vault of Yurchenko full to win a second gold medal in Sunday's finals.

Olsen trains under Vladimir Lashin and Svetlana Lashina at Omega Gymnastics in British Columbia (where Lobaznyuk also coaches now). At May's Canadian championships, she won five medals in the junior division, including the all-around and vault golds.

Hockenhull, second on floor exercise, won balance beam with a routine that was most outstanding for its beautiful leaps (front aerial, ff; side aerial; switch leap; side somi; switch side; ro double tuck). She trains at Park Wrekin School of Gymnastics under coach Christine Still, the popular gymnastics commentator for the BBC.

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